Full Disclosure
by Faith Donovan
Summary: A sleepless night for Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson leads to an unexpected confession. Spoiler Alert: Post Season 3 Finale!
1. Chapter 1

Elsie sat in her parlor thinking about what the last few months had held for the family. First Lady Sibyl, now Matthew. If she didn't know any better, she'd say there was a curse on the Crawleys. Lady Mary had never been her favorite girl but she wouldn't have wished this on anyone. To raise a child alone was a terrible thing… not that she'd be completely alone, of course, she'd have the family… but even if she remarried, which she was bound to do, it would never be the same. Memories of her own childhood started flooding her mind and she quickly decided to push them out of her mind. She put a kettle on her hot plate and willed it to boil quickly so she could have some tea and relax.

Her eyes fell on her clock and noted that it was 10:30. Was it that late already? No wonder she was so tired. As she stared at the clock, she realized that Charles hadn't come by. He usually called at 10 o'clock. What could be keeping him? Perhaps he was besotted with his own grief at Matthew's death, but if he was, all the more reason for him to join her. Perhaps they could grieve together.

In any case, it didn't seem like he was coming tonight. She went into her room and changed into her nightgown, slipping on her robe over top for warmth. The kettle whistled and she took it off the plate and made herself a cup of tea. She took it over to the settee and curled up, trying to clear her mind. She thought of everything and of nothing at the same time. She thought of her childhood, the family, the recent tragedies… the war, the staff… Anna and Bates… Ethel and Charlie… Mr. Carson…

She sat up, exasperated. _It's never going to happen, you foolish woman. The sooner you put it out of your mind, the better_, she thought… but the difficulty was that she'd been trying to put it out of her mind for over two decades. She got up and walked over to her teapot, empty cup in hand, determined not to waste any more time on frivolous thoughts tonight. No sooner had she set the cup down than she heart a faint knock on her door.

"Mrs. Hughes? Mrs. Hughes, are you still awake?"

She went over to the door and opened it to find Charles on the other side.

Taking note of what she was wearing, he realized that she was ready for bed and turned a deep shade of pink.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hughes. I didn't realize how late it was. I'll say goodnight".

He turned to go.

"I wish you wouldn't… not yet, anyway. I could really use a friend tonight."

He turned back around and she opened her door fully so that he could come in. _I should probably change_, she thought but quickly put the thought out of her head. If nothing had happened for twenty years, nothing was ever going to happen so what was the use of putting on a corset and layers upon layers of clothes again for?

"Won't you join me for some tea? I'm having the most dreadful time getting to sleep tonight and I've got a pretty bad case of wandering mind".

He came in and she wandered back over to her cupboard, producing another cup and saucer for Charles. She poured two cups and put the kettle back on the hot plate. She handed him his tea and wandered back to her corner on the settee. They usually shared wine at the table but her back hurt and all she wanted to do was sit on something soft. She gestured for him to join her.

"Are you all right, Mrs. Hughes?" Charles said after a sip of tea. "Mmm. Delicious."

"Oh, I'm fine… don't worry about me. What about you? You're certainly up late."

"I… I couldn't sleep tonight either. I looked at the same page of my ledger for an hour before I realized that I was getting nowhere. Good God… what a horrible tragedy".

"I know… it's been keeping me up too. First Mr. Patrick… then Lady Sibyl… and now Mr. Crawley… oh, Charles, why is this happening to our family?"

He looked up at her. _Our family_, she had said. He had never once heard her refer to the Crawleys as her family; if anything, she had admonished him for doing as such.

"Perhaps I've no place to feel as such; I didn't lose a father today, or a son, or even a husband, but there's a hole in my heart. Everything was all right… everything was going to be okay, all of the bad times were finally behind us… it's so terrible that it can't be true."

She choked back a sob and hoped that Charles hadn't noticed. He did, of course, and offered a kind, warm smile.

"I'm sorry… I have a lot of things on my mind this evening".

"Might I ask what else is troubling you?"

"My heart is breaking for that child who will never know his father… and for Mrs. Crawley, who now has to bury her only son… and for Lady Mary, who had just…"

Another sob. Charles placed a warm hand on her elbow.

"The thought of seeing Mr. Branson and Lady Mary alone with their children… it reminded me of my own childhood."

She turned her head away from Charles and stared straight ahead at the coffee table in front of her.

If there was one thing he knew about Elsie, it was that she rarely talked about her past. He doubted that she had even been on the stage as he had but he got the feeling that it was a very dark past. They had known each other for twenty years and she had never mentioned her childhood even once.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have asked—", he started.

"I was eight when she died… I'll never forget it. One day she was fine and the next… I think deep down I always knew it was him. They said it was her heart… oh, it was her heart, all right."

She paused to take a sip of tea.

"The beatings got worse after she died… went on for years, but what could we do… but then he forced himself on me one night".

Charles looked away, both embarrassed and enraged. She kept going.

"I was used to the beatings… we all were… but when he came into my room that night, I knew something terrible was about to happen. He was stronger than I was and twice my size… I closed my eyes and cried until it was over… and then I left."

She stopped and looked up at him.

"That was the night I left home… I took only the little bit of money I had and the clothes on my back and ran as fast as my legs could take me. I finally found where I was going but when I got there I felt ashamed"

"Where did you go?"

"To my mother's sister. She wasn't a sister by blood but they worked at the same house for twenty years before my mum ran off and got married… my mum used to have us call her Aunt Isobel. I think she might have realized she'd be the victim of foul play in the end… I remember her telling me one day that if anything were ever to happen to her that I was to go to Isobel and she'd keep me as her own. Isobel never liked him… any way, I knew I'd be safe there. She took me in and told me she'd keep me safe, that she knew that he'd done it… that she knew he'd killed her."

Another long pause.

"He showed up about a week later, looking for me and I hid under a few loose floorboards until he'd gone and given her a black eye in the process. We left Argyle for England the next day, to stay with her sister… her husband had passed and she was left all alone on a farm with three small children… all the while mysister Sarah was still with him. I got word that she escaped a few years after I did, but I don't think she'll ever forgive me for leaving her."

She paused and took a long sip of tea. When she put the tea cup down on the table, he took her hands. She met his kind, warm gaze for a moment and then looked down at the table again, leaving her hands in his.

"Mrs. Winters treated me well but raised me hard, saying that if I worked hard, I could head my own farm someday." She smiled. "I always thought that would be my life. It's hard work, a farm, but rewarding… though I could never stomach the butchering of my newest pet." She chuckled and took one of her hands to get a sip of tea. When she'd finished, she gently put her hand back in Charles'.

"The years went by… I couldn't remember how many if I tried. We all got older, people came and went. The children all grew up and Aunt Isobel died… after that, Mrs. Winters decided to sell the farm. She told me that it was now my turn to decide where I went… I could either stay with her or she could help find me a post in a house somewhere. Of course, I wanted to stay with her… she was the only family I had left since I hadn't had news of Sarah for years. She gave me reference for a post in Berwickshire… a friend of a friend or something or other… anyway, I turned it down to stay with Mrs. Winters, but she died in her sleep that very same night. It seemed like the universe was telling me to go home… and so I went after the funeral."

She stared at her tea cup, now empty. Charles poured her another cup, which she immediately cradled in her hands.

"Forgive me", she said, "I'm feeling quite the chill this evening". She set her tea down and folded her hands in front of her. Charles reached over once again took them in his. His smile warmed her from the inside out and she decided to keep telling her story.

"They were a good family, the Armstrongs. I was a house maid and moved up to Lady's maid about one year later… and then I met Joe."

Charles stiffened at the sound of Elsie's former beau but said nothing. Elsie noticed this slight change and a smile formed on her lips.

"He was a farmer… is a farmer. He would supply the cook with all of the freshest and best produce and animals he had. He was the first man I wasn't afraid of… the first to be kind to me and treat me with respect. He was always a good man. The housekeeper, Mrs. Robertson, knew that we were walking out but she told me to think carefully before I chose that path. She'd seen me go from house maid to Lady's maid in a short time… she said I had potential to be a great housekeeper and run an estate one day."

She gave a short chuckle before continuing.

"And then I took the post here at Downton –"

"And everything changed", finished Charles.

"Yes… it certainly did. He proposed when I told him I was coming back to England and I told him I needed time to think about it. His life was there, in Berwickshire… he couldn't just up and leave. He said, "Elsie, you're going to go and meet a footman or valet and fall madly in love and never think of me again"… I assured him that that wouldn't be the case but he was heartbroken nonetheless. I was happy with Joe but I couldn't shake what Mrs. Robertson said. I felt like I needed to give myself a change… I was a farmer's daughter, Mr. Carson… I knew that life already, and while it wasn't a bad one, I was interested to know what life would be like in a great house."

She stopped and looked at him.

"So you turned him down…"

Elsie nodded slowly.

"It was a difficult decision but I felt that it was the right one… and anyway, the years went on and he met someone else, married, and had children… and, well, you already know the rest".

"Indeed I do".

They sat in silence for a bit, hands still joined, each lost in their own thoughts.

"What was the real reason you turned him down the second time?"

She looked up at him, into his eyes, and felt her heart start to pound. If it pounded any harder, surely he would see it. She grabbed her hands back and clutched them in front of her, looking away. _Because I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again_, she thought. _I couldn't stand the thought of never looking into your eyes again or hearing the sound of your voice. _

Charles looked at her intently. Perhaps it wasn't right to put her on the spot. Did he really expect her to confess to a secret love for him? That was child's nonsense… still, he found that his heart ached when she answered.

"I told you years ago, Mr. Carson… I've changed. I'm not that farm girl anymore".

Charles nodded and she reached for her tea again, almost knocking it off the table. He had known her long enough to know that he had struck a nerve. She was suddenly very nervous. She wouldn't be nervous if she wasn't hiding something.

She moved the tea cup closer to the middle of the small coffee table so that she wouldn't risk knocking it over again. Charles took her hands a third time and stared into her brown eyes.

"Was that the only reason?" he asked slowly.

Their eyes were locked and she found herself frozen in time, unable to speak. She opened her mouth and barely got out a hushed "No." before his mouth was on hers, his lips parting hers and engulfing her in a sweet kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

Their kiss lasted an eternity. When they finally pulled away, they gazed into each other's eyes. This was what they had each been secretly dreaming about for years, and now that it was finally happening, neither one wanted to end.

Almost immediately, Charles straightened himself up and found his voice.

"I don't know what came over me, please forgive my indiscretion, Mrs.-"

"Elsie", she interrupted, pulling him closer with complete abandon, placing one hand on his knee and kissing him full on the mouth.

She savored every detail of the kiss, from the scent of his skin to how his soft lips felt on hers. She ran her fingers through his hair and cupped the side of his face. She heard herself let out a deep moan as he started kissing the side of her neck and she realized that she had never experienced passion like this in her entire life.

Charles pulled away, forcing himself to put some distance between them for fear that he might take things too far; he could already feel himself bulging with desire. All that he wanted in this moment was to love her with reckless abandon.

Elsie caught her breath and found words.

"I hope you don't think less of me for being so forward-"

"Certainly not, Mrs.-"

"_Elsie_", she interjected.

"I know that there are rules to our stations, Charles… and I would never pretend for a minute that I am a lady, but-"

"It is _because_ you are a lady that I must say goodnight, M… Elsie… for I fear that if I don't leave right now, I may not be able to control myself. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I took advantage of you."

"I don't care anymore", she said, pushing herself forward and on top of him, once again finding his mouth and kissing him hard. He kissed her back equally passionately and she felt alive as he ran his hands over her body. She felt him beneath her, burning with desire, and knew that this was exactly what she wanted.

"I thought I was going to die, Charles… and then Lady Sybil… and now Mr. Matthew… and I know that we can't be together, that there are rules, but I can't do this anymore. Life is so precious and you never know which day is going to be your last. I want so much to be with you… I can't go through one more day pretending that I don't love you."

Her words hung in the air. _I love you_, she had said. It was out in the open, nothing held back.

"Oh, Elsie…" he smiled, finding the confidence to speak his own heart. "I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. You brought meaning back into my life. I have watched you over the years, my love growing stronger and stronger every day. Why didn't you tell me that you thought you were sick? You didn't have to go through it alone".

"I wasn't alone, I had Beryl."

His eyes met hers and gave her a loving but stern look.

"I didn't want you to pity me… and I didn't want you to hurt".

"Did you ever stop to think that I would have hurt more if you had actually ended up being sick? Or if you had died? I wouldn't have been able to carry on without you. I love you so much, Elsie. You are my whole life".

He gently pulled her back on top of him and kissed her neck. She let out another moan.

"I hope you can forgive me", she said slowly. "I did it out of love".

He kissed her slowly, wrapping his arms tightly around her small frame.

"I love you, Elsie Hughes… and I forgive everything.".

"And I love _you_, Charles Carson."

**Warning: The next chapter will be M. **


	3. Chapter 3

Their kisses intensified and they both knew how this evening would culminate. Charles wanted to be absolutely sure that Elsie was comfortable with the direction that things were taking. He certainly didn't want her to regret it tomorrow morning.

"I'm sure", she said, as if reading his thoughts. "It's been twenty years… I want all of you".

She stood, took his hand, and led him to her bed.

Their kisses became more fervent as hands started exploring each other's bodies. She was only wearing her nightgown but he was still in full butler's garb. Her fingers made their way to his tie, which she quickly removed before reaching for his shirt buttons. He undid the buttons on his vest and allowed her to slowly slip his jacket off his broad shoulders.

As she undid the shirt buttons one by one, she had a slightly terrifying thought. She hadn't been with a man in this way since… well, ever. Joe had wanted to, of course, but Mrs. Robertson had kept a very close eye on her, reminding her at every chance possible not to throw away her ambition on a man. They'd certainly had their share of passionate moments, or so she thought, but she never surrendered everything. Even if Mrs. Robertson hadn't been watching, she had never been sure. Not after what he father had done to her the night she left Argyle.

"Charles-", she started, "There's something I need to tell you."

He stopped and looked up at her.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No… but I need to ask you to be gentle. I haven't…."

Silence.

She suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed and could feel the color rushing to her cheeks. She should have kept her mouth shut, she had just ruined everything. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes and about to spill over.

Charles sat up, helping her up in the process.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed."

"Don't I? I'm an old spinster who-"

He silenced her with a kiss. When he pulled away, she remained silent and looked at him, her eyes melting into his.

"I will be gentle. I promise".

She nodded and surrendered completely to their passions and desires. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and found herself disappointed to see that there was still one more layer of cloth preventing her from seeing his chest. He quickly slipped the shirt off and she smiled broadly as she took in his rugged chest for the first time, committing every detail to memory.

Their kisses continued as his hand made its way up her thigh, desperately wanting to take her. He slipped the gown off her and got rid of his pants. All that stood between them now were their undergarments. They slipped under the covers and finished getting undressed.

Elsie thought she was going to burst with joy.

"Pinch me, Charles", she sputtered out.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Pinch me. I want to make sure I'm not dreaming".

"I'll do better than that", he said with a sly smile.

He eased his way on top of her and started kissing her breasts, squeezing gently and flicking his tongue over her nipples. Beneath him, Elsie struggled to catch her breath. He moved his other hand down to her thighs and slipped a finger inside her. She gasped with pleasure.

"Charles….."

He responded by kissing her harder and gently rocking his finger inside her before slipping in a second finger. After a few seconds, she spoke up again.

"Please….. I want you".

He used his knee to gently part her legs and positioned himself on top of her. He lowered himself on top of her and began kissing her gently. When he felt that she was sufficiently moist, he gently and slowly slipped inside.

She cried out, causing him to pull back.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No… I just… this is beyond my wildest dreams".

They looked at each other lovingly and Charles gently lowered himself back down on top of her and slipped inside again. Her chest started heaving with pleasure as he thrusted in and out, her only regret being that she had waited this long to experience this with him.

They settled into a rhythm of love making that was exquisite and climaxed together. Elsie didn't know that this level of passion was possible. They collapsed in each other's arms and tried to catch their breath. She pulled him closer and kissed him.

"I love you so much".

"Oh, my darling. I love you too".

They held each other and slowly succumbed to sleep in each other's arms.

It was the first night in months that they slept deeply and soundly.

_This was well worth the wait_, they each thought as sleep overtook them.


	4. Chapter 4

Anna woke up suddenly and felt out of place. About thirty seconds later, she realized that she was not in her cottage with Bates; she was still at the hospital with Mary.

_Oh no,_ she thought, _I must have fallen asleep on the sofa! Oh, I'll be in such trouble if they notice! And I forgot to go back to the house and get that special blanket!_

She darted up, putting a hand to her hair to make sure she was somewhat presentable. The clock on the nearby desk said that the time was 4:45.

_At least Daisy will be the only one up at this hour_, she mused, setting her bun back in place.

With that, she grabbed her shawl and made her way up to the main house. Oh, how could she have forgotten the blanket? Thank God it was early morning and Mary was still asleep; she had asked her to fetch it the previous afternoon. It had been hers when she had been born but the baby came on so suddenly that he hadn't had time to go and get it.

The house felt cold; something hung in the air, something she couldn't quite place.

_I wonder why the house feels so dark and cold… Lady Mary just had her baby and she's all right; surely that's cause for celebration!_, she mused as she quietly wandered up the stairs to Mary's room. When she got there, she knocked very gently and paused. No answer. She opened the door slowly and found the room empty. She was sure Matthew would have been asleep. _Perhaps he stayed at the hospital last night in another room?_

She shrugged and went over to the bureau where she had last seen Mary put the blanket. She rummaged through the drawer but didn't find it.

_Hmm. That's odd. Maybe I'm just tired_.

She proceeded to look in the bureau's three other drawers but still no blanket.

_Oh, I knew I should have done it last night! Then there would have been time… but now… what do I do now?_

She took a moment to think.

_I know; I'll ask Mrs. Hughes._

With that, she turned and left, making her way down to her room.


	5. Chapter 5

Elsie and Charles slept better than they had in months, perhaps even years. They slept in each other's arms all night, the tragedy of the previous day behind them, with only the joy and promise of the future in front of them.

Charles was the first to wake. Like Elsie, he typically woke up at 5:30 every morning. The house was quiet then, except for Daisy making her rounds with the fires, and he found that it was the ideal time to sit and get his thoughts in order. Her clock said 5:00.

_Good_, he thought. _Plenty of time left_.

He looked down at Elsie and smiled.

_So it wasn't a dream_... _thank God_.

He gently kissed her on the head and she gave a deep contended sigh and smiled. With that, he hugged her closer and closed his eyes, desperate to cherish every second he had with her.

He was almost completely asleep again when he thought he heard a shuffling in the hallway followed by a frantic, whispered call of, "Mrs. Hughes!"

Convinced that he was dreaming, Charles forced his eyes to remain shut, instead burying his face in Elsie's hair.

He didn't hear the door open, nor did he see anyone slip inside the room.

"Mrs. Hughes?" the hushed whisper came again, but he didn't hear it.

What he did hear was the loud gasp and a second later, the door slammed shut.

The gasp woke Charles out of his reverie and he snapped his eyes open but all he saw in the pitch black was the edge of a skirt as the door closed.

Someone had seen them.

A terrible feeling of dread washed over Charles. His instinct was to get up and see who had entered the room but he was entwined with Elsie's body; to get up would mean to wake her… and even if he did succeed in getting up without waking her, he was stark naked and couldn't really run down the hall as such.

"Shit!" he said, shuffling in the bed.

"Mmmm", came the response from next to him.

"Elsie! Elsie".

"Hmmm".

"Elsie, wake up!"

Another indiscernible sound.

"Elsie! Wake up! We've got a problem!"

Elsie shifted sleepily.

"She'snotgettingthestorekeyaslong asI'mhousekeeper", she slurred.

Any other time he would have laughed, but the severity of the situation forced him to remain steadfast.

"Elsie, someone saw us".

His words snapped her out of her peaceful sleep and she opened her eyes.

"What?"

"Someone saw us, Elsie."

She gasped and put a hand on her mouth as she raised herself up and covered herself with a blanket.

"What do you mean someone saw us-"

"I mean someone saw us! I thought I heard someone calling your name and then I thought I was dreaming. Whoever it was came in and gasped… the gasp woke me and by the time I opened my eyes, they were gone. All I saw was a skirt".

Elsie sighed deeply.

_How could this have happened? _

"Did you see who it was?"

"I told you, all I saw was a skirt".

"Then it was one of the maids…"

Silence.

"Shit".

More silence.

"It was probably Daisy", she offered looking at the clock. "She's the only one who's up before me… and anyway, I haven't unlocked the upstairs yet".

"Elsie, do you _really _think they've never unlocked that door behind your back?"

She gave him a stern look.

"Suppose her ladyship or Lady Edith had needed something - Good God, what if it was O'Brien!"

Elsie gasped.

"Then I suppose she'll off to his lordship."

"Not if I go to him first and-"

"Oh, Charles, how could we have been so stupid?"

He looked at her, hurt.

"What?"

Elsie continued.

"The maids know that I never lock my door. You know it. Everyone knows that we do not lock doors in this house. They knock once and open the door. It's the way it's always been. How could we have been so stupid…"

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, turning away from him. She was up a moment later and began looking for a clean dress, all the while unaware of Charles, sitting in her bed, both looking and feeling devastated.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Get up, then! We need to find out who saw us, the sooner the better so we can fix this." she said.

He was silent and when he responded, he did so with the utmost professionalism.

"Of course, Mrs. Hughes".

Elsie didn't respond; she had grabbed a pitcher of water and was pouring it into a basin to wash her face. Hearing nothing but silence, Charles picked his clothes off the floor, dressed quickly, and left. By the time Elsie looked up from her basin, he was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

He quickly made his way up the stairs and up to his room, hoping to go unnoticed by anyone who might be starting their day. He succeeded and was grateful for the silence and solitude.

_How could we have been so stupid?_, she had said.

The words hung heavy in the air and in his heart. So she had regretted it after all. He had been wrong to tell her that he loved her... and even worse, to make love to her.

He felt his chest start to tighten and breathed in deeply.

_You're not a school boy anymore, Charles. You're a grown man. _

He replayed the events of the morning over again. Maybe they wouldn't have quarreled (if you could call it that) if he'd gotten up when he heard something the first time. He sighed. She had seemed so vulnerable last night, so open, so honest. It was difficult to believe that she could behave so coldly this morning.

He went about his pre-breakfast routine, thinking more and more about her behavior.

_If she wants to pretend like nothing happened, fine. I will fight fire with fire._

With that, he pulled himself together and headed downstairs. He was so caught up in his emotions that he failed to remember that he would have to perform the terrible task of informing the staff of Matthew's death this morning.

On the other end of the hallway, Elsie stood in front of her mirror doing her hair, wondering why Charles had rushed out of her sitting room so quickly that morning.

_I suppose he just wanted to get his day started._

She sighed a deep sigh, and as she pulled back her curls and placed the pins in one by one, her mind drifted back to the previous night. She had certainly known a man's kiss before but there had never been one like this. When his lips touched hers, she felt miles away. Time stopped still and there wasn't a care in the world. The only thing that mattered was the two of them in that moment. When his hand touched her face, she thought her heart might stop... and when he made love to her, she thought she had already died and gone to heaven. She had never known such happiness as she had experienced last night. Her only regret was that she had wasted twenty years.

She closed her eyes and thought back to how he had touched her. He'd made her feel alive for the first time in her almost sixty years.

_So this is what it feels like to truly be in love_, she thought. _This is what it feels like to make love and to truly know love. _

She finished getting ready and rushed down to the servant's hall, anxious to see him at breakfast, anxious for a moment alone to sneak a kiss. In all of her joy and happiness, she also forgot the very unfortunate task that lay ahead.

When she got to the servant's hall, she found that he was nowhere in sight. He seemed to be the only one absent. Her spirits sank as she looked around the hall. Next thing she knew, Beryl was upon her with a tray of pastries.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Patmore" she muttered before stepping out of the way. Just as she did so, Charles walked into the room. Elsie immediately felt herself smile and stand a little taller. The staff rose to their feet and awaited for him to gesture for them to sit. No gesture came.

"My apologies for being late this morning, I was with his lordship."

He paused, searching for his next words very carefully. He longed to look at Elsie for support; he didn't know how he was going to get through this alone.

"It pains me to have to tell you all this, especially first thing in the morning... but it would appear that we are once again... a house in mourning. Mr. Matthew was in an accident yesterday evening and I regret to inform you that he did not make it".

Elsie felt a gasp escape her throat and a few chairs down, Anna did the same. Elsie had known, of course; that was how everything had started the previous night... but in all her ecstasy, she had managed to forget about the tragedy. All she could think about was the intense feeling of love she had experienced. True, she had never adored Lady Mary the way Charles had, but now that she had known love, she couldn't imagine losing it and that wasn't a feeling she would wish on anyone. At least she was an old woman, but Lady Mary was a young woman. How was she to go on with her life after losing the person who made her feel whole? How was she to bear the pain?

It happened so quickly that he almost didn't see it. One minute she was gasping, the next she was on the floor. He instinctively reached for her but she was already down. Thomas and Anna picked her up and he shooed Thomas away, lifting her in his arms.

"Call Dr. Clarkson!", he instructed as he took her from the hall in to her sitting room, Anna trailing at his heels.

He gently laid her down on the couch and noticed that Anna had followed him.

"Anna, see to it that Dr. Clarkson sees her as soon as he gets here."

He stiffened up an turned.

"Aren't you going to stay with her?"

Charles stared at her.

"It is time to serve breakfast. His Lordship will surely wonder where I am".

"But surely a foot-"

"Mrs. Bates, did you not hear me announce that Mr. Crawley is dead? The most important thing right now for the family is that a certain order and standard be maintained".

"But-"

"Just do it!", he snapped before leaving.

Once upstairs, he composed himself and walked into the dining room. He was surprised to see both Lady Granthams present; he couldn't remember the last time that he saw them for breakfast, if ever. Robert and Tom rounded out the table.

He walked in and greeted the family, then went over to his usual spot. He couldn't understand what had caused Elsie's fall. It couldn't have been the news; she knew about that last night. He began replaying the events of the previous evening in his head again and all he felt was anger.

"Carson?"

Cora's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Do we have any biscuits this morning?"

"Of course, your ladyship, beg your pardon."

He took a step toward the door and Alfred walked in with the tray of biscuits.

"Need I remind you that breakfast is served promptly at 7:30 every morning?! How dare you be late bringing these up! "

"Really, Carson, it's all right. They're just biscuits", Cora started.

"It is most definitely not all right! Alfred, If you are to remain in this house, you will conduct yourself in a perfunctory manner at all times!"

"Carson, Do we have anything stronger?" Violet interrupted.

"Really, mother? It's 7:30 in the morning!" protested Robert.

"I know how to read a clock, thank you! I could use something stronger this morning".

"Certainly", Charles answered and went downstairs to grab some champagne. When he returned, he found that Edith had joined the table.

"Carson, Lady Edith was just telling us that Mrs. Hughes took ill this morning.", said Cora.

Charles stiffened up again.

"She is all right, m'lady".

This time it was Robert who spoke.

"I would feel better if Dr. Clarkson had a look at her."

Edith spoke up next.

"What a horrible thing. I remember how I felt after Sir Anthony, but this is so much worse".

Violet joined in as Charles went over to her and started to pour the champagne.

"I must go to her after she's told. No offense, but none of you knows what she is going through. Well, you do, Branson, but the rest of you don't. You can't possibly relate to her or the terrible void that is now in her life."

While she spoke, all Carson could think of was how a few months earlier, Elsie had thought she had cancer. He remembered sitting in his pantry or in her bed at night wishing, hoping, and praying that it wasn't true, that she'd be all right. Beryl had told him, of course, but he'd had to keep that a secret. He hadn't been able to comfort her a single time and all the while he had been terrified that she was actually sick. She had been a part of his life for the past twenty years; he'd fallen in love with her the moment he first laid eyes on her. He didn't know how he would have been able to carry on if she had been sick, or worse, if she had died.

_What am I doing?_

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that he filled Violet's glass to the brim but didn't stop. He only stopped when he heard someone yell out his name.

"Beg your pardon, m'lady, I don't know what came over me. With your permission, I will excuse myself".

He gestured to Alfred to clean up the mess and headed downstairs.

Down in her sitting room, Elsie was suddenly aware of the wet washcloth on her forehead.

She stirred and heard Anna's voice.

"Mrs. Hughes? You fainted. Mr. Carson and I brought you here to give you some space; Dr. Clarkson is on his way."

She opened her eyes and looked at the young housemaid.

"I'm fine. He should be with Mrs. Crawley right now anyway. Where's Mr. Carson?"

"I don't know, he left as soon as you were settled".

Elsie felt a chill come over her. Why was he rejecting her all of a sudden? If she had fainted, shouldn't he be here to make sure she was okay? He had told her he loved her last night, he had made love to her, and yet now he was nowhere to be found. She suddenly felt herself very close to tears.

Anna, ever observant, took note of her sudden change in disposition.

"Anna, I'd like to be alone, if you don't mind"

Anna stood.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Hughes"

The older woman looked up at her.

"For what?"

"For... I'm so sorry for this tragedy".

With that she left. The door had barely closed when Elsie felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks.


	7. Chapter 7

Dr. Clarkson had arrived by the time Charles found his way downstairs. Anna was outside Elsie's sitting room. She took one look at him, shot him a look that could kill, and walked off in the opposite direction. He scowled and made his way over to his pantry. He longed to see his Elsie, to look into her eyes and apologize for his behavior, to tell her that he loved her and that he'd been an old fool.

_All in good time, I suppose. _

He walked over to his desk and sat down. The ledger from the night before was still open.

_I should actually finish this,_ he noted with a sigh.

He forced himself to focus on the numbers on the page and eventually he lost himself in the work, unaware of how much time passed. The next thing he knew, there was a knock on his door.

"Yes?"

It was Anna.

"Lady Grantham would like to see you in the library, Mr. Carson."

He stood up.

"Thank you, I will go at once".

An awkward silence passed.

"She's fine, you know. I figured you of all people might want to know. Thank you so much for your concern."

Charles felt the anger rush to his face.

"Thank you, Mrs. Bates, that will be quite enough."

Anna lingered at the door for a second before leaving, once again shooting him daggers. As she left, her skirt swished in a very familiar manner.

_Oh my God! It was Anna! _

He stepped outside and noticed that Elsie's door was still closed. He desperately wanted to tell her about his realization. He made his way over to the staircase and the vent and paused. He could hear someone talking about the menu for the funeral. Surely Elsie really was all right then. He longed to stay and listen but he made his way upstairs.

"You wished to see me, m'lady?"

He was surprised to see Violet in the room. When Anna had said "Lady Grantham" he was expecting to see Cora.

"Yes, Carson. Come in."

"Please accept my deepest apologies for my behavior this morning, m'lady. I don't know what came over me. In all of my years of service I have never-"

"That's not why I called you here. It is, but I did not call you to reprimand you. Surely you must have had something very important on your mind... or someone very important."

Charles said nothing.

"Mmm, yes, your silence is telling me all I need to know. Have you told her?"

He could feel himself start to sweat and decided to feign ignorance.

"Told who what, m'lady?", he answered softly.

"Don't play dumb with me, Carson. I've known you for over twenty-five years and I can read you like a book. Have you told her how you feel?"

He felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on him. How could she possibly know that he was in love with Elsie? Had he been that obvious? He had taken careful steps over the years to make sure that he conducted himself with utmost professionalism at all times, especially when it came to Elsie.

"I've always valued you, Carson... so did my late husband."

"Thank you, m'lady".

"You deserve to be happy... I want you to be happy. We all do."

Charles looked at her blankly, unsure of what to say. Was the Dowager really saying this?

"Now. I do not believe you would have cut Alfred into ribbons over a tray of biscuits or drenched the table in champagne this morning out of anything other than love and concern for your Mrs. Hughes. I watched your face throughout breakfast and I know what I saw. I have seen that look on Lord Grantham's face when he looks at Lady Grantham; I have seen it on Matthew's face when he looked at Mary; and I saw it on my husband's when he looked at me. I will ask you again: have you told her how you feel?"

He sighed. He didn't know how she'd figured it out, but she had. Something about her persona told him that she truly wanted to help, but he still felt that he should be cautious, not to mention that Elsie would kill him if he divulged the serials of last night to anyone.

"It would be inappropriate to do so, m'la-"

"If your stations did not prohibit it, would you be with her?"

He met her eyes.

"Yes."

"Then you must tell her."

"But alas, our stations do prohibit it. Mrs. Hughes has worked her entire life and sacrificed too much to achieve this post. I will not jeopardize it for her."

"If I have learned something after all of my years, it is that life is a precious gift that is frequently taken for granted. You need to hang onto the people you love because you never know when your time will come."

He stared at her silently.

"I do not think that Robert would dismiss either one of you after all these years of impeccable service, this morning's incident aside. Money and station will come and go, Carson, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that we're surrounded by the ones we love."

"Thank you, m'lady... you've given me a lot to think about... but if I might ask... why the sudden interest?"

"I would hate to see another fine wine go to waste", she replied.

After his talk with Violet, Charles went downstairs for lunch. He was extremely disappointed to see that Elsie was absent from the meal and resolved to go to her afterwards. As lunch was drawing to an end, however, he was summoned back up to the library.

Shortly after the staff left the hall, Beryl assembled a tray and went over to Elsie's sitting room. She balanced the tray on one hand and knocked.

"Mrs. Hughes? I've got a bit of lunch for ya"

She slowly opened the door and found Elsie on her settee, looking completely miserable and dejected.

"I appreciate the effort, Mrs. Patmore, but I'm not really hungry."

"All right then, just tea it is", Beryl answered, setting the tray down on Elsie's table and pouring two cups of tea. She then shut the door and sat down at the table.

"Now. What's going on? You were so chipper this morning... I assume the doctor said you're okay?"

"Yes... just a sudden drop in blood pressure from the shock, nothing to worry about".

"Mmm, good tea. You really ought to have some."

"Maybe later."

"Did you and Charles have a fight?"

"I beg your pardon? That is really none of your-"

"Struck a nerve, have I? For what it's worth, I'm sorry I'm right. I'm on your side, you know. What did he do this time?"

Elsie sighed. She hated to divulge her personal matters but Beryl had proven to be a trustworthy and supportive friend throughout her cancer scare. She also desperately needed someone to talk to.

"Oh, Beryl, it was wonderful... but now he won't even speak to me."

"What was wonderful?"

"Maybe I will have a cup of tea after all."

"What was wonderful, Elsie?"

"None of your business", Elsie said and walked over to the table to get some tea. "But suffice it to say... last night, Mr. Carson and I had a very enjoyable evening". A smile crept over her face as she thought about how he had held her and kissed her. His hands were gentle and his lips were soft. There was such passion in his kiss; he had kissed her like she was the most beautiful and important woman in the world. He had held her hand and gazed into her eyes as he made love to her. He had been both gentle and strong in his lovemaking and wrapped her in his arms afterwards. His face and his scent were the last things she remembered before she drifted off to sleep.

"Then what's the problem?"

Elsie sat down at the table.

"I don't know, but it seems to be over before it even really had a chance to begin."

She looked down at her cup and could feel the tears prickling at the back of her eyes.

"He was so cold this morning... hasn't even come to see me today. I was sure he'd come after I took ill."

"You should have seen him when you fell over... He picked you up and was the one who ordered the call for Dr. Clarkson."

"He would have done that for anyone."

"He beat up on Alfred for being a minute late and then poured a bottle of champagne on her ladyship."

Elsie gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth.

"She summoned him this morning and then his lordship summoned him after lunch... he'll be in trouble, I'm sure."

"Why was there champagne at break... never mind. On her ladyship? She didn't say anything when we talked about the menu..."

"Not that ladyship... the Dowager Countess... and yes, more or less... he kept pouring and the glass overflowed and he kept on going. If that's not the worry of a man in love, I don't know what is."

Elsie smiled weakly and took another sip of tea.

"How much longer are you going to keep ignoring it, Elsie? The man's in love with you; it's as plain as the nose on your face. Do something about it. Go to him. Tell him you love him. Spend your life with him."

"You know it's impossible, Beryl. Who ever heard of a butler and a housekeeper... we would both be dismissed before we had the chance to say a word."

She sighed and put her cup back on the table.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

"You do love him, don't you?"

Elsie looked up at her sharply, about to retort back.

"Easy there, Dragon. I'm not going run out of here and publish it in a news column."

She cringed at being called "Dragon". She still hated it after all these years.

She sighed again and picked up her tea cup.

"I do", she said softly. "You know I do. With all my heart and in a way I've never loved before, in a way I didn't know was possible. I love everything about him... from the sound of his footsteps to those beautiful eyes to his voice to the way he... Oh, Beryl, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You're going to tell him how you feel. You've been with him for over twenty years... it's high time you told him".

"I... " she paused. "I already did."

"And?"

"And... he was very receptive... but I'm afraid that he may have changed his mind."

"I don't think he has. I've been watching that man for years and he will never stop loving you. What I do think is that he's in hot water upstairs for dousing her ladyship"

Beryl giggled.

"I can't believe he did that."

"Neither can I, but I would have loved to have poured the entire bottle on the old bat's head."

"Elsie!"

"Never mind that now."

She poured more tea for the two of them.

"I was so in love with Joe... at least I thought I was at the time... but when it came down to it, I couldn't do it. I couldn't marry him."

"Would you ever marry Charles?"

Elsie choked on her tea.

"As if he'd ever ask!"

A funny smile crept over the cook's face.

"That's not a no, Elsie."

Elsie looked over at her friend and Beryl erupted in a mad peal of laughter. Soon, both women were laughing and Elsie felt better than she'd felt ever since she fainted that morning.

"No... it's not", she said with a smile. The truth was that as impossible as it was, nothing would make her happier.

"Well. I happen to have a wonderful recipe for a wedding cake."

Upstairs, Charles made his way into the library, halfway expecting to see Violet again. It was Robert this time.

"You wished to see me, my lord?"

"Ah, yes, Carson, come in. How are you doing? I was rather worried about you this morning".

"I am all right, my lord. Please excuse my lapse in decorum, I was very distracted."

Robert nodded.

"You'd let me know if something was wrong?"

"Absolutely, my lord, but nothing is wrong."

"All right. Well, I wanted to speak to you about the next few days. Lady Grantham spent the morning with Mrs. Hughes going over all of the details. We don't know how many men will bring their valets but advise Thomas and Alfred that they might be attending to multiple gentlemen."

Charles nodded.

"Guests will start arriving the day after tomorrow, so everyone will be expected to double up on all of their duties."

"Of course. I will speak to the staff before ringing the dressing gong."

"How is Mrs. Hughes doing after her fall?"

"I believe she is all right... I have not seen her yet."

Robert nodded and gestured that he was finished with him. Charles went to leave and stopped at the door. He took a very deep breath.

"My Lord?"

"Yes, Carson?"

"I was wondering if I might speak to you about a personal matter".


	8. Chapter 8

Charles sat on the corner of his bed and looked around his bedroom. Aside from his pantry, this room had been his home and his sanctuary for over twenty-five years.

_I'm going to miss this place. _

His talk with Robert hadn't gone as he had expected it to... the man could still surprise him after all of these years.

"There's no rush... take your time", Robert had said, but Charles felt that he needed to act quickly now that he had spoken out. Why speak up at all only to hide afterwards? No, he needed to follow through and he needed to do it now. With that, he stood up and pulled out a suitcase under from under his bed.

He took his time going through all of his belongings. It had been years since he had done so and he found that it was very relaxing. He lost himself in his work until he heard a frantic knock on his door.

"Mr. Carson? Are you in there?"

Elsie.

_Shit._

"It's time to ring the dressing gong!", she said as she opened the door.

Her eyes froze on the open suitcase and the surrounding mess.

"It's not what it looks like, Elsie, I swear."

"You don't owe me anything, Charles. I hoped you did... but you don't."

She turned to leave, fearing that she would burst into tears. This was ridiculous! She didn't cry and already she'd cried twice over this man today!

He gently grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

"It's not what you think. Trust me."

He leaned down and kissed her, erasing all of her worries and cares.

"Why don't we have wine in my room tonight... there's something I need to talk to you about".

Elsie nodded.

"I love you, Elsie. Don't ever forget that. I'm sorry about today... I was being stupid."

Elsie smiled slightly.

"Oh, I meant to tell you. I think it was Anna who saw us this morning. She's been giving me the stink eye all day."

"I'll talk to her."

A beat passed.

"I mean it, Elsie. I love you."

"I love you too, Charles."

She stroked his face before giving him a big kiss.

"Don't forget... my room. After dinner."


	9. Chapter 9

The dressing gong went off and servants came to life throughout the entire house. While O'Brien and Bates headed upstairs, Beryl, Daisy, and Ivy started the heavy lifting for dinner.

Charles walked through the dining room to make sure that everything was perfect, stopping to measure and rearrange whenever a plate looked out of place. Thomas followed closely behind.

"Really, Mr. Carson, I can do all of this."

"Thank you Thomas, I am aware, however now is not the time to shake things up. Perhaps after the funeral."

Thomas scowled. He hated the old butler so much.

_If only there were a way to get him fired... _

They finished upstairs and Charles headed back down to his pantry. He locked the door as soon as he was inside and hurried over to his desk. He unlocked the bottom drawer and took out a small box. He opened it up and checked its contents for what was probably the twelfth time that evening. Quite satisfied with himself, he put it back away and locked the drawer again before heading back up to the dining room for dinner.

Next door, Elsie was at her desk writing out the schedule for the next few days. There was so much to do to prepare. She wrote up a list of all of the rooms that would be used; she next needed to take an inventory of their food and linen situation. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

_I wonder what this business is with Charles. _

She laid her pen down on her papers and closed her eyes.

_At least we're on speaking terms again. I wonder what got into him. _

A quiet knock on her door brought her back to reality. She picked her pen back up.

"Mrs. Hughes?"

"Anna? Come in... take a seat."

Anna walked in cautiously and sat on the settee. Elsie remained at her desk.

"Is everything all right?", she asked.

"Yes... I just wanted to talk to you about something..."

"Well go on", she said, "I've got a lot of work to do to plan out the next several days."

She sighed.

"Oh... I didn't think we'd be going through this again so soon..." She trailed off.

"I don't know how to say this..."

"Spit it out, whatever it is... nothing could be more horrible that what's already happened."

Anna took in a quick breath.

"I saw you and Mr. Carson together this morning. I couldn't find Lady Mary's baby blanket upstairs so I came to ask you if you'd seen it... and I saw you."

Elsie put her pen down slowly.

"I see..."

"I'm not going to tell anyone."

"I thank you for that."

A very awkward silence passed.

"I'm happy for you... I've been waiting for you two to get together for years, so I'm very happy... or at least I was, before Mr. Carson walked out on you this morning..."

Elsie looked up at her and smiled.

"Everything's all right, Anna... but I thank you for your concern... and discretion."

A beat passed.

"Do you ever think about the future?"

"Now that Mr. Bates is free, it's all I think about."

"Are you planning on staying here?"

"For the time being, yes... though we've thought about moving away and starting a bed and breakfast."

Elsie nodded.

"Well. In case you're ever interested, I think you'd have a great future as a housekeeper someday."

"Are you thinking of retiring?"

"Not anytime soon! I plan to go on as long as I can... I hope I've got at least another twenty years left in me! But someday, Anna, if you want it, I think you'd be great a it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hughes."

Another beat.

"So you and Mr. Carson are all right then?"

Elsie gave her a look.

"I do not wish to discuss my personal matters... but yes, everything is all right."

Anna smiled broadly.

"I'm so happy to hear that! We've all been waiting for the two of you to get together for years."

She looked at the young maid and raised her eyebrows.

"Really, now?"

The two women talked for a few more minutes before Anna went back out to the servants' hall, leaving Elsie alone with her work.

Anna didn't see Thomas standing by the vent at the top of Elsie's sitting room.

_Now I've got him... Now I've got all three of them._


	10. Chapter 10

_Here it is, my dears: the final chapter. Don't worry, I've already got plans for a prequel and a sequel. :)_

_A sincere thank you to everyone who read my story and an even bigger thank you to anyone who reviewed. About halfway through writing chapter six, I received the news that my mother-in-law was killed in a car accident when someone ran a red light. She was hit on the driver's side and was killed instantly. As petty and insignificant as this might sound, this story was one of the things that kept me from going off the deep end. It gave me an escape from the tragedy that my family was living and the reviews were all like little rays of sunshine through what were very dark and difficult days._

_Final disclaimer: I don't own most of these characters, save for a few in chapter one. Incidentally - I went back and re-wrote parts of chapter one; I found that I had a new understanding for the void in the Crawley's life after happened in my own. _

* * *

Dinner that evening was very somber. Robert and Cora were there, of course, as were Violet, Tom and Edith. A silence had crept over the entire house and no one dared speak a word. The only sounds were those of serving spoons scratching upon silver trays and wine being poured into glasses.

It was Edith who finally broke the silence.

"How is she?"

A long silence passed before Violet spoke up.

"As well as one can imagine under the circumstances… but we had a good talk this afternoon."

Cora spoke up next.

"I'm going to go see Mrs. Crawley in the morning… I believe I may have some comforting words for her in this most difficult time".

"Do you really think that's wise? I hear Dr. Clarkson has had to keep her sedated", Edith said.

"That was just initially, Edith. She's not sedated anymore and is nursing quite the broken heart."

More silence. Charles took the opportunity to rehearse what he would say to Elsie in his head; Thomas used the silence to formulate a plan.

"It just doesn't seem true", Edith finally said.

Tom spoke up quietly.

"Tragedies never seem true."

"The swiftness of everything… are we sure he's really dead? Maybe he's just in a coma and he'll come out of it in a few days".

"That is quite enough, thank you, Edith", said Robert forcefully.

"I simply meant-"

"ENOUGH!"

Cora looked down sharply at her plate.

"I apologize. I simply do not wish to engage in this conversation. A terrible tragedy has happened and I think that we are all in shock, but lingering on the details will not help matters. What does matter now is that we find a way to keep calm and carry on – for Mary. This is going to be difficult enough for her".

A few heads around the table nodded and Charles made eye contact with Thomas. The younger man looked at him slyly.

The rest of the meal progressed silently but without further incident. When the men and women had parted ways, Charles instructed Thomas to advise Mrs. Patmore that they would eat in fifteen minutes. Thomas nodded and went off, but instead of heading downstairs, he went into the library.

"My lord?"

Robert turned around.

"I was wondering if I might have a quick word".

"Go on then… come in".

Thomas quickly entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"I know how important it is to you that this house always be the pinnacle of propriety, especially when it comes to those whom you employee."

"What is it?"

"Well, I thought you should know, my lord, that I overheard an interesting conversation this afternoon between Mrs. Hughes and Anna… a conversation concerning Mr. Carson."

Robert stared at Thomas.

"Out with it, then".

"It would appear that Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes are involved in a romantic relationship of sorts. I know that such things are expressly forbidden, so I came to you immediately."

"I see", Robert said quietly. "And what do you wish me to do?"

"I would not presume to know, my lord. I only wished to inform you of what I heard."

"As a matter of fact, Thomas, I addressed the matter with Mr. Carson this afternoon".

"You already knew, then."

"Like I said… I addressed the matter with Mr. Carson this afternoon".

Thomas smiled.

"Well… if there is anything that I can do to help, my lord, I am here to serve you. I will not mind if more work comes my way."

Robert stared at the man.

"I will be sure to remember that. Thank you, Thomas".

With that, Thomas left.

"Be careful what you wish for", said Robert after he had gone.

Thomas made his way downstairs and ran into Sarah O'Brien in the hallway. The two had once been inseparable partners in crime but had drifted apart since her nephew had come to the house.

"Still fancy a promotion?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Carson and Hughes are shacking up together and I've just told his lordship, so it won't be long now before they're gone."

He gave her a wicked grin and went off into the kitchen to find Beryl. The news that dinner was being served downstairs spread like wildfire and the entire staff was soon assembled. The chatter was quiet, the upstairs atmosphere having seemingly permeated the servant's hall.

For Charles and Elsie, it was a challenge not to look at each other too much. With every second that passed, Charles felt like his heart was going to pound its way out of his chest and onto the table for everyone to see. Sensing his nervousness, Elsie slipped her hand under the table and onto his right leg. He hadn't been prepared for that and choked on his stew.

Elsie snatched her hand back, drawing it up to pat him on the back.

"Are you all right, Mr. Carson?"

"Yes… thank you. A piece of lamb just went the wrong way…."

She gave him a little smile and he smiled back. He wanted nothing more than to take her hand right now and kiss her… but alas.

One by one, servants started clearing the table and retiring for the night. Thomas and O'Brien left together, which was a sight that no one had seen for many months. Daisy and Ivy retired into the kitchen and the footmen skirted off after them. Soon, all those left were Charles, Elsie, Anna, and John.

"Well, Mr. Bates, I think I'd like to go home now", Anna said, rising suddenly. She looked over at Elsie and gave her a broad grin.

Elsie gave her a very stern look.

"Well, off with you then, I'll see you in the morning."

Her sternness faded away and she returned Anna's smile. Anna and John left, leaving Charles and Elsie alone.

"Shall we head into my pantry?", he asked.

"Give me a few minutes… I'll be right over."

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was gone, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Charles!"

"Sorry", he said with a huge grin of his own as he walked away.

She sighed and watched him go into his pantry. After he had gone in and closed the door, she made her way over to her sitting room and went over to her desk. She rested her head in her hands in an effort to assuage the headache she had been developing and getting worse since dinner started. As she was massaging her temples and started to alleviate the pressure, she heard what sounded like a shuffle and a loud bump come through the wall, followed by a discernible "Oww!".

She bolted out of her chair and went next door to Charles' pantry, not even bothering to knock.

"Charles? Are you all right?"

She found him on the floor, on his hands and knees, under his desk.

"What on earth are you doing?!"

"I'm all right… hit my head, that's all."

She stared at him.

"I dropped something."

"Can I help you look for it?"

"No… I found it right as you walked in".

"Well, what was it? I don't see anything."

"Nothing."

She gave him a sterner look than she had given Anna as he crawled out from under the desk and extended her hands to him in order help him up.

"Come on then, let's get you up before we have to call Dr. Clarkson."

He looked at her and took both of her hands but made no effort to get up.

"Elsie, did you mean what you said last night? About loving me?"

"Of course I did… now let's get you to the table. Come on."

She tried to pull him up and he allowed himself to come up to one knee before stopping.

"Elsie, I've spent the last twenty years of my life watching you… working with you, admiring you, loving you… and I never thought that I'd get the chance to say any of this this, but I want more. Before Anna came in this morning, I was watching you sleep in my arms. I want every morning to be like today, minus Anna, of course. I want to go to sleep and wake up with you in my arms every day for the rest of my life. I want to share my life with you."

"Charles… what are you say-"

"Marry me, Elsie. Marry me. Please marry me."

He let go of her hands, shoved his hand into his coat pocket, and pulled out the most exquisite diamond ring Elsie had ever laid her eyes on.

"Please say you'll marry me, Elsie."

She gasped and brought both of her hands up to her mouth. The sight of Charles in front of her, down on one knee with an engagement ring was too much for her to handle and the tears started flowing.

"Of course I will!", she exclaimed. Charles took her left hand and slipped the ring on. It fit perfectly. Taking her by the hands, he gently stood up and kissed her.

"I spoke with his lordship this afternoon and he will allow both of us to stay on in our posts as long as we allow them to throw us a wedding and attend it."

Elsie opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her with a kiss.

"Lord and Lady Grantham will get their way, Elsie… his lordship insisted on it. After that, it will be up to us whether to move into one of the unoccupied rooms downstairs or into a cottage on the estate. That's why I was packing this afternoon… I figured I would get a head start with clearing out some of my belongings that I am no longer in need of".

She smiled through her tears and he wiped them away with his warm hands.

"I never thought this would happen… only in my dreams", she said.

He kissed her again.

"I've had this ring for twenty years. I never thought I would be able to give it to you."

"Oh?"

"It was my mother's. She died about a year after you came here."

"I remember."

"She gave it to me and told me to give it to the woman who stole my heart away."

Elsie smiled at him and gazed into his eyes.

"Oh, Charles…"

They kissed again before she broke away.

"But it fits perfectly… how did you manage that?"

"Now now… I can't reveal all of my secrets all at once, can I?"

"Charles, you've made me the happiest woman alive".

"Not yet I haven't", he said with a wink. With that, he turned the lights off and led her to his small bed.

* * *

_Thank you again for reading and reviewing and I promise that there will be a sequel! I've got big, big plans for Elsie and Charles, as well as Thomas... "Be careful what you wish for!"_


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